Mouthful of Rodent

Bobcat catches a mouthful, originally uploaded by Jen Joynt.

The other day at Tennessee Valley, I encountered a not-at-all-shy bobcat walking on the most popular trail at this park. I was walking down the trail and saw the bobcat walking towards me. The cat seemed small and looked quite skinny and a little roughed up to me.

Luckily, though, while I was watching the cat, he had a successful hunt. Here he is digging in to pull out a gopher or vole.


He had to open his mouth quite wide to get a good hold of his snack.


The bobcat retreated to some bushes to enjoy his meal. He emerged a little while later and walked towards me before turning around and heading back into the bushes. In this shot, you can get a sense of how skinny this cat was. His hip bones seem to be pushing his fur up.


I wondered if this cat was perhaps recently a kitten who had been sent packing. Maybe he is having difficulty adjusting to life on his own. Or it is mating season, and other bobcats in this area have shown signs of fighting.

Ladybug Love for Valentine's Day

Ladybugs, originally uploaded by Jen Joynt.

Although I posted these photos on flickr a while ago, I thought ladybugs would make a fitting post for Valentine's Day. (Plus, my mother loves ladybugs, and she is reading my blog now.)

Over the winter, thousands of ladybugs gather at Redwood Regional Park in Oakland, California. In one small area, near the junction of two trails by a stream, there are clusters of ladybugs everywhere you look. Ladybugs cover leaf piles, branches, benches, and posts. And if you hang out long enough, taking photos perhaps, soon they cover you as well.


This area is mostly shaded by redwoods, but when the sun breaks through and hits the ladybugs, they pulse with activity. It is definitely an interesting site to see.


For those who have seen all these photos on my flickr site already, here is a bonus photo of a cute bunny at Tennessee Valley. Happy Valentine's Day!

Wildlife Wonders Close to Home

Berkeley Bobcat Close-up, originally uploaded by Jen Joynt.

For the last few months, I have been exploring new areas looking for wildlife, and I have made some great discoveries in some of these parks that are new to me. But I must admit that my favorite discoveries are those that are close to home. I feel so grateful to all the individuals who had the foresight and courage to preserve so much open space in the Bay Area.

In December, I had one of my most exciting discoveries, when I spotted a bobcat in Berkeley (I have blogged about this before). It has been a while since I have since this wildcat, though. So I was thrilled when I surprised the cat in the open grass right near the trail.

I had only the briefest time with this beautiful cat, but I am still smiling about it today. I have noticed that some of the bobcats in Tennessee Valley seem to be more tolerant of people (even photographers). But it seems right to me that a wildcat should slink out of site quickly once spotted, which is just what this cat did. The cat saw me and watched me intently. Once it felt the time was right, s/he disappeared without a sound.

My exciting day did not end there. I went to look for Great Horned Owls. And I was able to spot one hidden deep in the trees, without even a call. Fortunately, for me, the owl then flew to a more open branch. The light was pretty low, but I had a few nice minutes watching this lovely owl before it was time for hunting.

Quite a lucky day for me!